hen it rains in the desert, an
already daunting race can turn into
a particularly nasty one, but Te
Awamutu’s Kevin Archer proved he was more
than up to the task.
The 52-year-old Kiwi enduro legend had his
second crack at Australia’s notorious Hattah
Desert Race near Muldura, in north-west Victoria,
at the start of July and this time he managed to
place himself on the top of the podium. And this
was despite the event’s high attrition rate after
heavy downpours, soon after the senior race
start, forced organisers to cut the race short,
ending it after four of the race’s planned eight
37-kilometre laps.
Archer had competed alongside teenage
daughter Rachael at last year’s Hattah race,
finishing 62nd overall and runner-up in the
Masters (45 years and over) class, with Rachael
finishing runner-up in the women’s class.
This year he was going it alone – while his
daughter was away in the United States,
racing the Grand National Cross-country
Championships series there – and he finished
55th overall (in a time of two hours and 58
minutes), winning the Masters (45 years and
over) class. There were nearly 400 starters in the
senior race, 42 of them in the Masters class.
The 2019 edition of the popular race started
in the dry with rain threatening and, at the end
of the first lap, the heavens opened. The rain
quickly turned heavy and the ground quickly
turned to a quagmire. Some riders thrived, many
found it very demanding and 83 of the starters
failed to finish.
The day began to take its toll as the rain
continued and the track became impassable
in sections, while in some areas bikes almost
disappeared into the bog holes.
The race was eventually won by KTM 500EXC-F
rider Daniel Milner, with fellow Australians
Lyndon Snodgrass (KTM 450EXC-F) and Joshua
Green (Yamaha WR450F) completing the overall
podium.
Milner finished his four laps in a time of two
18 KIWI RIDER
hours and 14 minutes, crossing the line three
minutes and 21 seconds ahead of Snodgrass.
“It was so muddy that some riders were even
getting stuck in the pits,” Archer said.
“There were little rivers running everywhere on
the track and the soil was like grinding paste on
the bikes.
“I got the call-up from the Simford Husqvarna
Team to ride for them. It’s the biggest privateer
team in Australian and they had prepared a great
bike for me, a Husqvarna FE501.
“The (Melbourne-based) team wants me to race
for them again next year.”
Motueka’s Roma Edwards,
tasting success across
the Tasman Sea
ARCHER TAKES CLASS WIN AT
MUDDY HATTAH DESERT RACE
W